The Problem with Store-Bought Energy Bars

An excerpt and recipe from Power Hungry: The Ultimate Energy Bar Cookbook

Editor’s Note: This article was adapted from the first chapter of Camilla V. Saulsbury’s ‘Power Hungry: The Ultimate Energy Bar Cookbook.’ For the next three weeks, we will feature a weekly DIY energy bar or gel recipe from her book, beginning with the Seeds of Power recipe, featured on page 3 of this article.

For so many of us runners, power bars have become a standard part of our diet: perfectly packable, portable, convenient energy before, during and after our runs. The shelves of every running store—as well as supermarket and convenience store—showcase the ever-expanding options (or, at least, the triumph of innovative packaging).

Despite the plethora of power bars on the market, something seemingly counter-intuitive is occurring: people are opting to make power bars at home and scouring the internet to find recipes for doing so.

Hence the conundrum: if daily life feels more time-crunched than ever, why on earth make homemade versions of a readily available convenience food?